[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device and method for bottles, in gas apparatus.
[0002] Portable or camping gas burners, and more generally gas apparatuses provided with
bottle or cartridge for feeding a butane, propane or LPG type of gas, generally have
the problem of the accidental detachment of the bottle from the gas drawing apparatus
with the consequent danger of fire (if the flame is ignited) or gas leak (if the flame
is off).
[0003] The prior art gas apparatuses described above normally have a laterally closed or
open cylindrical body, provided with an upper opening through which is inserted the
gas drawing apparatus and with a lower opening, larger than the previous one, through
which is inserted the bottle, which is then coupled with the gas drawing apparatus,
in the sense that the apparatus partially penetrates in the bottle perforating it
in gas tight fashion.
[0004] The bottle can be maintained in its seat and in the correct operating position by
means of a typical bayonet coupling (with obvious problems with the possible accidental
uncoupling of the bottle) or by means of an elastic device. The elastic device can
be obtained by means of a wire-like metallic element, so shaped as to be able to be
inserted elastically and manually in the body of the apparatus to lock the bottle
inferiorly and/or extracted therefrom to allow the extraction of the bottle, or a
closure element with bayonet coupling can be used.
[0005] However, operator error or particular tampering with the equipment can cause the
locking device to be extracted, freeing the bottle and causing its egress, when the
bottle is not completed exhausted or when the gas is still ignited and the flame is
still present.
[0006] An aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks described above and
to allow to obtain a device and a method for locking/unlocking the bottle that allow
the extraction of the bottle itself only when the ignition or gas drawing apparatus
is completely removed from the equipment and hence the flame is absent.
[0007] An additional aim is to achieve this in an extremely simple and economical manner.
[0008] Said aims are fully achieved by the device and by the method of the present invention,
which are characterised by the content of the claims set out below. In particular,
the device comprises an element for retaining the bottle in the body of the apparatus
and prevent its accidental egress, which device is inserted in the same opening through
which the bottle is inserted and is so shaped as to allow the extraction or egress
of the bottle only after a rising movement of the bottle within the body.
[0009] Said element is so shaped that the rising movement of the bottle or cartridge can
take place only after extracting the drawing apparatus from the body or case.
[0010] Said element is preferably constituted by an annular retaining element that is elastically
inserted into the body or case, encompassing the lower part or bottom of the bottle
or cartridge and simultaneously constituting a lower end stop thereof.
[0011] The method for safely extracting a bottle or cartridge from a gas apparatus provides
for the egress or extraction of the bottle or cartridge from the body or case to be
possible only after a step of rising the bottle or cartridge inside the body or case.
[0012] This and other features will become more readily apparent from the following description
of a preferred embodiment, illustrated purely by way of non limiting example in the
accompanying drawing tables in which:
- figure 1 shows a bottom perspective of the apparatus;
- figure 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the bottle;
- figure 3 shows a plan view of the element for retaining the bottle;
- figure 4 shows a vertical section according to the straight line A-A of Figure 3 of
the retaining element in a vertical.
[0013] With reference to the figures, the number 1 globally indicates a gas apparatus of
the type comprising an ignition apparatus 2, a body or case 3 for housing a bottle
or cartridge 4 of gas (preferably butane, propane or LPG), and a known gas regulation
and drawing group 5 for regulating the flow of the gas that feeds the ignition apparatus,
accordingly regulating the produced flame and for guaranteeing both the gas tight
coupling with the cartridge and the drawing of the gas.
[0014] The apparatus 5 is inserted in known fashion into the body or case 3, being screwed
in a first upper threaded opening, not shown herein.
[0015] The bottle 4 is instead inserted inferiorly into the body through a second opening
6 having larger dimensions than the previous one. The bottle is retained in its seat
by an original annular element 7 which is elastically inserted in the same opening
6 through which is inserted the bottle 4, and is so shaped as to allow the extraction
or egress of the bottle only after a rising movement of the bottle inside the body
3.
[0016] To enable the bottle to perform said rising movement, it is necessary for the drawing
apparatus 5 to be unscrewed and extracted from the body 3.
[0017] When the bottle is inserted in the body and the annular retaining element 7 is also
positioned correctly, the drawing apparatus 5 is superiorly screwed until a needle-like
element punctures the bottle, penetrating therein, whilst an appropriate gasket creates
a seal between the ignition apparatus and the bottle, thereby preventing gas from
escaping.
[0018] The perforation of the bottle takes place as a result of the thrust exerted on the
bottle by the drawing apparatus and of the fact that the bottle cannot move away inferiorly
because it is retained in the case by the element 7 which bears down on a recess 8
that constitutes the lower edge of the body or case 3.
[0019] The element 7, which constitutes means for retaining the bottle 4 in the body 3,
is preferably made of nylon 6 or in any case of a suitable material with elastic properties,
and is inserted elastically in the body 3 encompassing the lower part or bottom of
the bottle 4 and constituting a lower end stop thereof. For this purpose the element
7, which extends in annular fashion for about 320-350°, is originally provided with
a step 9 along its own peripheral edge to house within it the bottom of the bottle.
[0020] The element 7 comprises two holes 10 (which in an embodiment variation not shown
herein can be replaced by simple suitable shapes) for the insertion of two fingers
to grip the annular element manually and extract it from the body 3.
[0021] However, because of the presence of the step 9 that encompasses the bottle 4, the
element 7 can be gripped and extracted only when the bottle does not bear down within
the step 9, i.e. it is necessary to raise the bottle inside the body 3 by a few millimetres
(preferably, 1 mm to 10 mm) to disengage it from the step 9. But the bottle is prevented
from rising by the presence of the drawing apparatus inserted therein in gas tight
fashion, and therefore it is necessary preliminarily to unscrew the drawing apparatus
and completely extract it from the body 3 to allow an adequate movement of the bottle.
[0022] The height of the step (preferably from 1 mm to 10 mm) is calculated in such a way
as to cause the extraction of the element 7 (and hence of the bottle) to be preferably
able to take place only when the drawing apparatus 5 is completely extracted from
the body or case 3.
[0023] In this way, the accidental extraction or egress of the bottle from the apparatus,
since to extract the bottle it is necessary completely to unscrew the ignition apparatus
and then act in a certain manner on the element 7, therefore it is guaranteed that
such operations can take place only because the operator specifically wills it and
not because of accidental movements.
[0024] The body or case 3 comprises a plurality of lateral openings 11 having the purpose
of lightening the body 3, of allowing the vision of the cartridge (when present),
and of improving the vaporisation and combustion of the gas.
[0025] The method of the present invention originally provides for the egress or extraction
of the bottle 4 to be enabled only after the rise of the bottle in the body 3, preferably
possible only as a result of a complete extraction of the ignition apparatus 2 from
the body 3.
[0026] The device and the method of the present invention therefore provide a high degree
of safety to the gas apparatus.
[0027] It is specified that with the use of the ring 7, any opening (by means of unscrewing
the drawing apparatus 5) with a cartridge in which gas is still present, entails a
leak but with the apparatus 5 still screwed to the body 3. In this way, the operator
can intervene by re-screwing the apparatus and eliminate gas leaks at the origin.
[0028] If it were possible to extract the cartridge from the opening 6, i.e. in the absence
of the ring 7 of the present invention, it would be nearly impossible in the above
situation to re-insert the cartridge. The obvious consequence is that all the gas
would be released in the environment where one is operating. This situation, which
may seem remote, can actually take place for instance because of the clogging of the
injector so that the user is led to believe that the failure to operate derives from
the lack of gas and hence can find him or herself in the situation described above.
1. Safety device for bottle, in gas apparatus (1) of the type comprising at least:
- a body or case (3) provided with at least two openings (6);
- an apparatus (5) for drawing the gas which is partially inserted in the body or
case (3) through one of said openings;
- a bottle (4) or cartridge destined to be inserted in the body or case (3) through
the other opening to interact with the drawing apparatus (5);
- an optional gas flow regulator positioned on the drawing apparatus (5), for regulating
the flame obtained in correspondence with the ignition apparatus (2);
- means for retaining the bottle or cartridge (4) in the body or case (3) and prevent
its accidental egress from the opening,
characterised in that said means comprise an element (7) which is inserted in the same opening (6) through
which is inserted the bottle or cartridge (4) and is so shaped as to allow the extraction
or egress of the bottle or cartridge (4) only after a rising movement of the bottle
or cartridge (4) inside the body or case (3).
2. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element (7) is shaped in such a way that
the rising movement of the bottle or cartridge (4) can take place only after extracting
the ignition (2) or drawing (5) apparatus from the body or case (3).
3. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element (7) is shaped in such a way that
it can be extracted from the body or case (3) only after disengaging the bottle or
cartridge (4) from the element (7) itself.
4. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element (7) is an annular retaining element
that is elastically inserted in the body or case (3) encompassing the lower part or
bottom of the bottle or cartridge (4) and simultaneously constituting a lower end
stop.
5. Device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the annular retaining element (7) is constituted
by an annular element that extends for about 320-350° and is provided with a step
(9) along its own peripheral edge to house within it the bottom of the bottle or cartridge
(4).
6. Device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the annular retaining element (7) comprises
two shaped openings (10) to allow its elastic manipulation with two fingers.
7. Device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the height of the step (9) is calculated in
such a way as to allow the extraction of the element (7), and hence of the bottle
or cartridge (4) only after the extraction of the ignition (2) or drawing (5) apparatus.
8. Method for safely extracting a bottle or cartridge from a gas apparatus of the type
comprising:
- a body or case for containing the bottle or cartridge;
- an apparatus for drawing the gas which is partially inserted in the body or case;
- a bottle or cartridge destined to be inserted in the body or case to interact with
the drawing apparatus;
- an optional gas flow regulator, positioned on the drawing apparatus, for regulating
the flame obtained in correspondence with the ignition apparatus;
- means for retaining the bottle or cartridge in the body or case and prevent its
accidental egress or extraction,
characterised in that it provides for the extraction or egress of the bottle or cartridge from the body
or case to be able to occur only after a step of raising the bottle or cartridge inside
the body or case.
9. Method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said raising step can take place only after
a complete extraction of the ignition or drawing apparatus from the body or case.
10. Gas apparatus operating with bottle or cartridge inserted in a containment body or
case, characterised in that it comprises a device as claimed in any of the claims from 1 to 7 or it operates
with a method as claimed in claim 8 or 9.